


the river and the palace

by TolkienGirl



Series: All That Glitters Gold Rush!AU: The Full Series [339]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Actual (Chinese) chess, Chess Metaphors, Domestic, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Gold Rush AU, Interlude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28384623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TolkienGirl/pseuds/TolkienGirl
Summary: Luthien shifted her left-hand advisor to one of its five single spaces. Then she ate an orange slice. Mama always brought them a dish while they played. In summer they played out of doors in her garden; in winter they sat by the fireside. It was winter, now, and though the air was rarely more than cool, Papa liked to have a fire crackling on the hearth. As such, Luthien was dressed lightly; her arms were bare. She propped one elbow on the tabletop and waited for Papa to make his next move.
Relationships: Beren Erchamion/Lúthien Tinúviel, Daeron & Lúthien Tinúviel, Elu Thingol | Elwë Singollo & Lúthien Tinúviel
Series: All That Glitters Gold Rush!AU: The Full Series [339]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1300685
Comments: 7
Kudos: 12





	the river and the palace

Papa captured her chariot.

“Ah, ah,” said Luthien, smiling. “Very clever.”

Papa pretended to be surprised, but Luthien could tell from the way he stroked his moustaches that he was pleased. “You have taken three of my soldiers already,” he said, generously. “Do not be too severe on yourself.”

They were speaking in Spanish but the game was Chinese. It was called 象棋, or _xiangqi_ , and Luthien preferred it to chess. In 象棋, the board was not merely a cold landscape of black and white, where no map would lay—no, it was the palace and the river, which limited the paths of some pieces and expanded those of others.

Luthien’s fingers hovered over one of her elephants. She didn’t touch it, though, for Papa was very strict about the rule of playing whatever piece one laid a finger on. She remembered how it had vexed her when she was small and first learning the game.

_It isn’t fair!_

_It is perfectly fair_ , Papa had said. _But you were eating your orange slices as I explained the rules, and I do not repeat myself._

Luthien shifted her left-hand advisor to one of its five single spaces. Then she ate an orange slice. Mama always brought them a dish while they played. In summer they played out of doors in her garden; in winter they sat by the fireside. It was winter, now, and though the air was rarely more than cool, Papa liked to have a fire crackling on the hearth. As such, Luthien was dressed lightly; her arms were bare. She propped one elbow on the tabletop and waited for Papa to make his next move.

He did so, but not only with his elephant. Papa said, “Daeron tells me that you wish to travel.”

“Travel?”

“He said he thought you would not be content until you had seen the world.” Papa did not exactly smile, but she saw the twinkle in his eyes. “Are you discontent, Luthien?”

She considered, and smiled. Both considering and smiling were done quickly. “If I were, would I tell Daeron?”

“For what other purpose does he exist?” said Papa, which was certainly a jest, as Daeron was useful to him in so many ways. Messenger, translator, advisor…except perhaps less that last, for Papa took advice from Mama and none other.

“I am happy,” Luthien said, “And indeed content, because I have checkmated your general.”

“Oh, well done,” said Papa, quaffing his wine. He drank tea and wine almost exclusively; coffee embittered his mood. It was their second match of this particular evening, anyway; he had won the first. Thus, he would not begrudge his daughter the victory of the second.

As on the board, in life? Luthien tapped her fingers against her chin, pondering. She would not try to answer her own question, at present, but the mention of Daeron had disturbed her. She had begun to suspect him to be less a friend than of old. Not—not an enemy. Dear old Daeron would never betray her. But though he had opened the door to new worlds for her in childhood, he gently closed them again now. He was more Papa’s ally than he could be her confidant.

Maybe she had known that longer than she’d thought. A child’s enjoyment of friendship did not _wane_ with age, exactly, but it carved out, by hour and season, a place for whomever would be foremost in one’s life.

Luthien wanted to confide in Beren. Daeron did not hate Beren as Papa, but nor did he understand Luthien’s faithfulness. Daeron was not as suspicious as Papa of the world outside, but he brought news of it that only succored Papa’s suspicions.

Luthien said, “Papa. Shall we have another game?”


End file.
